Slovakia's poorest town is Kežmarok

ACCORDING to a recent study by the GfK agency, the average salaries of people living in Bratislava are double those of people from Kežmarok (Prešov region, eastern Slovakia) - the poorest town in the country, Hospodárske Noviny daily reported.

The results also show that people in Kežmarok have to get by on average salaries lower than Sk9,000 (€249) per month.

According to ČSOB bank analyst Marek Gábriš, it is a normal phenomenon for a capital city to be richer than the rest of the country. "The capital city is the seat of many institutions, has better infrastructure, better communications with neighbouring countries and faster economic growth," said Gábriš.

The second richest city in Slovakia after Bratislava is Košice and districts neighbouring these two cities benefit from their locations.

"People who live in districts neighbouring Bratislava have a level of purchasing power that is one-fifth lower than in Bratislava itself," reads the GfK report, which adds that this difference is much greater than the one between Košice and its neighbouring districts.

At the same time, however, the development of Košice region is being held back by its poorer districts. According to the study findings, the Bratislava region is the most developed region in Slovakia, followed by the Trnava and Trenčín regions. This is result of the influx of foreign investment. According to Gábriš, structural reforms already in place should help to lower regional differences gradually.